Former Nixon aide used his billions to fight cancer and rebuild housing in Armenia

Jon Huntsman dropped out of a high-school chemistry class after concluding he would never have use for that sort of knowledge.

For a man who went on to found a global chemical company, the choice might seem unfortunate. But Mr. Huntsman’s rise from humble beginnings to billionaire entrepreneur was never about an early mastery of the periodic table of elements. It was about deal-making skills and a tolerance for risk verging on recklessness.